Rocks &

The Rock Cycle

The Life of a Rock
Rocks become smaller , and smaller, and
s m a l l e r , and
smaller . . .
• By erosion
• By wind
• By earthquake
• By floods
• By rain
• By slides
• By man
Terms to Know
• Weathering: the breaking
up of rocks and soil

• Erosion: the moving of

weathered rock and soil.
Weathering allows erosion
to take place.
Products of Weathering
• Clay
• Sand
• Rock Fragments (pebbles and stones)
Rocks change…………..
•By earthquakes
•By volcanic activities
•By heat and pressure
How does rock change?
• Rocks are heated,
squeezed, folded,
or chemically
changed by
contact with hot
fluids
marble
 Three Types of Rocks
• Rocks are classified
by how they form
• Igneous
• Sedimentary
• Metamorphic
Rocks can change Schist
from one type to
another over time
 Rock Classification
•Rocks are
classified by:
•How they form
•Texture
•Grain size
•Mineral
composition
Conglomerate Sedimentary Rock
Igneous Rock is . . .
•Rock that is
formed when
melted rock cools
and hardens.
Igneous Rocks :
What are They?
• Fire Rocks
• Formed underground
by trapped, cooled
magma
• Formed above ground
when volcanoes erupt
and magma cools
 Igneous Rocks
• Igneous rock:
forms when molten
rock (magma) cools
and hardens
• Classified by:
• Where they form
• Crystal (grain) size Basalt
 Intrusive Igneous Rock
•Intrusive igneous:
cooling takes place
slowly beneath Earth’s
surface

granite
 Extrusive Igneous Rock
•Extrusive igneous: Pumice
cooling takes place
rapidly on Earth’s
surface
Igneous rock
 Sedimentary Rock is . . .
•Rock formed
when layers of
small particles
of shell, rock,
and sand join
together.
 Sedimentary Rock
• Sedimentary rock: forms
from the compaction and/or
cementation of sediments
• This process is called
lithification Limestone
• Sediments are:
• Rock pieces
• Mineral grains
• Shell fragments
 How do sediments form?
weathering
• Sediments form
through the
processes of
weathering and
erosion of rocks
exposed at Earth’s
surface

erosion
 Sedimentary Rock
• Sedimentary rock can
also form from the
chemical depositing of
materials that were once
dissolved in water
• When water evaporates, gypsum
minerals are left behind
and form rock
 Sedimentary Rocks :
How They are Made
• Wind and water break
down the earth
• Bits of earth settle in lakes
and rivers
• Layers are formed and
build up
• Pressure and time turn
the layers to rock
Sedimentary Rocks
Fossils
• Fossils are usually found in sedimentary
rock and are the remains or imprints of
plants and animals that died long ago.
Fossils-Life From the Past
• Fossils provide information about life
and conditions of the past.

• Scientific evidence shows that the Earth

is approximately 4.5 billion years old
Metamorphic Rock is . . .
• Rock that is formed
when pressure and
heat create changes
to sedimentary or
igneous rock.
 Metamorphic Rock
• Metamorphic rock:
forms when any rock
type is changed into a
different kind of rock
• Changes due to great
heat and/or pressure
Gneiss
 Metamorphic Rocks :
What are They?
• Rocks that have
changed
• They were once
igneous or
sedimentary
• Pressure and heat
changed the rocks
The Rock Cycle
 The Earth Recycles Rock
• The rock cycle is an
ongoing series of
processes inside Earth
and on the surface
• Slowly changes rocks
from one kind to another
• Any type of rock can
change into another type